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June 2, 2025Last week, May 26–June 1, 2025, was a rollercoaster for gaming. Doom: The Dark Ages kept slaying, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 tightened its GOTY grip, and the Galaxies Games Showcase’s afterglow fueled indie dreams. Dauntless shut down, leaving a void, while Apple’s stinging loss to Epic Games in their antitrust saga sent shockwaves. Here’s what defined the gaming pulse for the past week.Galaxies Games Showcase Keeps the Fire AliveThe Galaxies Games Showcase (April 17) carried its spark into late May, with its 50+ reveals still trending on X. Hosted by GamesRadar on Twitch and YouTube, it blended indie and AAA with Konami, Remedy, and Kepler Interactive. The Knightling, Saber Interactive’s fantasy action-adventure, kept its Steam demo buzzing, hyping a summer 2025 launch across PC, PS5, Xbox, and Switch. RuneScape: Dragonwilds, Jagex’s survival pivot, gained steam, while Remedy’s FBC: Firebreak teased chaotic Control universe co-op. Shadow drops like Bionic Bay (physics-puzzler) and UNBEATABLE’s rhythm demo (music as rebellion) held strong, with X posts calling it “E3 reborn.”@pushsquarecrowned Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 the star, and its April 24 launch echoed into May, shaping the week’s vibe.Dauntless’ Shutdown StingsOn May 29, Dauntless, the free-to-play monster hunter, shut down at 11:45 PM PST, per@GameSpot. Launched in 2019 by Phoenix Labs, it was a welcoming rival to Monster Hunter Wilds, with cross-play and cross-progression across PC, PS4, and Xbox One. But Forte Labs’ 2023 acquisition and layoffs—9% in 2023, more in 2024, per@GameSpot—doomed it. X posts, like@trixett, mourned the lack of an offline mode. The closure, alongside January’s studio shutdowns (Toadman, Counterplay), per@eurogamer, highlighted the industry’s brutal consolidation. Monster Hunter Wilds filled the gap, but Dauntless’s exit left fans gutted.Big Releases: Doom and Wrestling DominateLast week leaned on May’s heavy-hitters:
- Doom: The Dark Ages (May 15, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5): This medieval Doom prequel, a Game Pass day-one hit, kept crushing with its Reaver Chainshot chaos. X posts, like@Misery_AZ, called it a GOTY lock alongside Expedition 33, with Steam charts showing it rivaling Monster Hunter Wilds.
- WWE 2K25 (May 7, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC): This wrestling titan stayed hot, topping Steam, per X posts. MyGM mode shone, though roster bloat drew gripes.
- Dredge (May 6, Cloud, PC, Xbox Series X|S): This eerie fishing adventure, a Game Pass hit, kept players hooked with its Lovecraftian seas, per@pcgamer.
- Kādomon: Hyper Auto Battlers (May 28, PC): This quirky indie auto-battler earned early Steam praise but struggled for air, per@pcgamer.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s GOTY MarchClair Obscur: Expedition 33 (April 24) ruled May, hitting 2 million copies sold, per@XBorgHQ. Sandfall Interactive’s RPG, a Galaxies standout, blends haunting visuals, turn-based combat, and a philosophical narrative that’s got X buzzing—@IGN’s “genre-defining masterpiece” label stuck, with a 92 Metascore, per@MortisWes. NVIDIA’s DLSS support, per@NVIDIAGeForce, made PC visuals pop. Sandfall’s summer epilogue tease kept GOTY chatter alive, with@Misery_AZpairing it with Doom as May’s peak. It’s 2025’s indie-to-icon story.Oblivion Remake Rumors PersistThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion stayed hot after its April 22 remaster (PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5), which topped PS5 charts, per@WindowsCentral. Leaks via@Eurogamerfueled 2027 remake talk, promising 4K visuals and mod support. X was split—@RinoTheBouncerhyped a reborn Cyrodiil, but some feared a Skyrim rehash. The remaster’s 4K/60 FPS, new lighting, and modern combat, per@JamieMoranUK, kept it trending, with@Asmongoldstill raving. With The Elder Scrolls VI distant, per@GameSpot, Oblivion anchored nostalgia.Apple’s Epic Loss Shakes the App StoreApple’s defeat in its Epic Games lawsuit was last week’s bombshell. On April 30, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled Apple willfully violated a 2021 injunction, banning its 27% commission on external app payments and anti-steering rules, per@Reuters. Epic’s Tim Sweeney celebrated on X, declaring “NO FEES on web transactions” and eyeing Fortnite’s U.S. App Store return, per@TechCrunch.@jason_kintcalled it a “sledgehammer” to Apple’s “compliance theatre,” while@dhhhailed it as “justice” for developers. Apple’s appeal, filed May 7, seeks to pause the ruling, claiming it’s forced to “give away” its services, per@Reuters. X posts are mixed—some cheer Epic’s win, others see Apple’s control slipping. The ruling, alongside the EU’s Digital Markets Act, could lower costs for devs and players, but Apple’s $73.4M legal fee demand, per@Reuters, shows the fight’s not over.
GTA VI Delay’s Ongoing FalloutTake-Two’s May 6 Grand Theft Auto VI delay to May 26, 2026, kept hurting, costing $2.7B in 2025, per @hollywoodreporter. The second trailer’s Vice City glitz, per@ChitoGamingLive, couldn’t ease X’s pain—half expect perfection, half cry “Rockstar’s trolling.”@00williammorristied it to Take-Two’s GamesBeat Summit flex, keeping the delay in focus.Switch 2 Hype and Xbox’s Handheld DreamsNintendo’s Switch 2 ($449.99, June 5 launch) fueled pre-order frenzy, with Mario Kart World and Kirby Air Riders driving hype, per X.@trixettnoted a longer-lasting battery, boosting buzz. Xbox’s “Project Keenan” handheld (late 2025) leaked further, per@iHeartRadioCA, with X dreaming of Halo on the go. Xbox’s price hikes ($80 games, pricier consoles), per@ChitoGamingLive, drew fire, but Game Pass, with Doom and Dredge, softened the blow, per@IGN.Indies Struggle in the CrushBig releases buried indies like Kādomon: Hyper Auto Battlers, per@pcgamer. Blue Prince (92 Metascore, per@MortisWes) and LLAMASOFT: The Jeff Minter Story (95% Steam rating) fought for scraps, echoing April’s woes, per@pcgamer. Dauntless’s shutdown mirrored January’s studio closures, per@eurogamer, underscoring the industry’s squeeze.The Wrap-UpMay 26–June 1 was a wild ride: Galaxies Games Showcase kept The Knightling and Dragonwilds alive, Doom: The Dark Ages and WWE 2K25 crushed, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 reigned supreme. Dauntless’s end and GTA VI’s delay stung, but Apple’s Epic loss and Oblivion rumors lifted spirits. What’s your vibe—Doom’s carnage, Expedition 33’s depth, or Epic’s App Store win? Drop it below—I’m listening.
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